Ramblings of an Evil Scientist
by Abicion
Summary: I took a more direct approach with this one.
1. Chapter 1

MISHIMA ZAIBATSU ENGINEERING DIVISION

BRANCH: Cyber Soldier Project

SUBJECT: Rochefort, Emilie D.

DESIGNATION: MZ109 "Athena"

LOG: 08/28/20XX

Athena is the ninth subject in the program's overall history, and the third to survive up to this phase. Nanomachine injections have remained fully synthesized in bloodstream with no signs of rejection. Latest brain scan shows subject is still operating with all of her major neural pathways in excellent condition. Interestingly, she is the only patient to make it this far with virtually no physical degeneration. One almost feels tempted to see how just far she can be pushed before wear and tear sets in, but this would obviously be a waste of valuable resources.

Since previous entries for this subject have been infrequent, here is her history in brief: Our program was nearly canceled following the failure of MZ108. Thankfully, Ms. Rochefort generously donated herself so we could resume our efforts. We had to send a small army of Jack units and destroy most of her family's mansion to motivate her into participating, but it was worth the effort once she was brought into our custody. She underwent the standard transitional operation while she was still unconscious from the attack, and she properly identified herself as MZ109 after recuperating. She was approved for more extensive modifications after passing her initial field test with flying colors. A more detailed report on this mission has been filed under Termination of Asuka Kazama.

Ms. Rochefort was a unique candidate. In addition to being one of the few females involved in the program, previous subjects were all individuals who possessed gladiatorial strength and fought with brute force. MZ109 is a much more nimble specimen, integrating fast reflexes and gymnastics into her fighting style to overcome her opponents. Her cybernetic enhancements had to be made of lighter materials in consideration of these variables. At first, there was heated debate over whether this difference in physique would mean her body was too frail for Cyber Soldier conversion. To date, however, the exact opposite has happened. Our change in approach has worked to our total benefit.

Subject is currently in high spirits. She appears to have no memory of ever being fully human. If this assumption is wrong, she at least doesn't let her past bother her. She is obedient toward her allies and suitably brutal toward anyone we deem to be her enemies. Due to her short-tempered but quick-minded nature in battle, we felt it would appropriate to model her after Athena, the Greek goddess of war. As requested, we have made no alterations to her physical appearance. If anything, her slightly more relaxed demeanor and the barely noticeable electrical glow in her irises only add to her natural beauty. She has even retained her particular fashion sense on her own, and we have made no effort to change her tastes. We understand concealment is a fundamental requirement for the project's success.

Lead researcher recommends increasing Athena's power supply by 20% during the next trial session. If the subsequent diagnostic examination finds she is able to operate at this level without any negative consequences, she will be ready for full-time combat deployment. Per standard policy, disposal operations will be implemented in the event she suffers substantial damage during the test.

This concludes this log. Expect next entry pending the outcome of the upcoming evaluation.


	2. Chapter 2

WELCOME TO THE MISHIMA ZAIBATSU GENETIC RECONSTITUTION DEPARTMENT, WHERE WE ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER.

PATIENT: Ling, Xiaoyu

CODE NAME: "Lilith"

DATE: 09/07/20XX

Lilith became our property thanks in no small part to the Bosconovitch experiment. It was initially thought it would take a small army to subdue a fighter of Lilith's calibur, but Alisa proved to be exceptionally efficient in the art of deception and capture while operating solo.

Lilith was adamant when she first arrived at the facility. Close to half of the escorting doctors and a good third of the guards who were on duty that day are still in the infirmary for their injuries. She had to be coerced into completing her preliminary physical examination, which she ultimately passed with encouraging results. She continued to be a nuisance until the moment she was introduced to the then-current strain of our synthetic Devil Gene.

Lilith spent approximately 72 hours in the private room we prepared for her. She lingered in a fevered, half-comatose state and her immune system evidently insisted on fighting a losing battle. As she grew weaker and her mind gradually succumbed to what other patients have described as a waking nightmare, she continuously whispered the words "Save me, panda." The meaning of this phrase still eludes our understanding.

Due to the harsh toll our research was already taking on her body, it was thought Lilith was never going to recover and would end up sharing the same fate as so many failures before her. She defied all of our expectations when she suddenly rebounded from her condition.

The personality change was drastic. All signs of defiance were gone once Lilith was strong enough to walk. She gave us her full consent to continue studying her fascinating biology once she understood she was part of a medical experiment that aimed to imbue the powers of the Devil Gene on a human subject with no previous history of the gene. Despite being fairly small for a melee combatant, her already remarkable agility has only been augmented further through her routine pseudo-Devil Gene treatments, and her sharp increase in physical defense has left her nearly invulnerable to all forms of attack. One employee was concerned that cultivating a female Devil Gene carrier was dangerous and insisted we should terminate our prized specimen before she could turn against us, but the matter was resolved when we asked Lilith to prove her loyalty. She crushed the dissenter's skull with her thighs.

Lilith has not exhibited any additional rejection symptoms, making her the only subject to advance this far into the project and be in any condition to boast about it. Blood tests reveal her body has somehow built a natural immunity against the deleterious effects of the Devil Gene. Aside from becoming a bit power-hungry and demanding that we increase the frequency of her gene therapies, she couldn't be a more satisfying test subject.

On a final note, we are currently in talks with the engineering division with the intent of finding a permanent sparring partner for Lilith, as she generally destroys any standard opponent we offer her. She was surprisingly vicious to her most recent challenger, who regrettably opened the fight by stating "What? You guys are going to use some little Chinese girl to take over the world?" The details are still being finalized, but Subject "Athena" will be the most likely candidate to come out of these negotiations.

-SIGNING OUT.

HAVE A NICE DAY.


	3. Chapter 3

Xiaoyu crouched on all fours as she broke into a fit of coughing. Her unbraided hair hung over her eyes like a soaked black mop. The glass tank automatically closed behind her. It had been another rude awakening. She still hadn't gotten used to drowning in a vat of synthetic plasma everything time she slept. However, her roommate had seemed to adjust pretty quickly. She was built a little differently and the fluid was probably more conductive for her.

The other tank unsealed itself and washed Lili on to the metal grating. She brushed some of the magenta ooze out of her hair before starting her morning grooming. Xiaoyu watched in envy. Both of them were bare naked, but Lili's longer hair gave her a tiny bit more privacy.

"Don't be embarrassed. It maximizes your body's exposure to the evolutionary agent," or however the Mishima doctor had put it. In another life, Xiaoyu could have been hanging out with her school friends and training with Panda. But here she was, an unwitting guinea pig slowly being turned into the perfect killer. Not that she remembered much about how things used to be, or even cared. She hated filling her lungs with radioactive syrup every night, but the high from her Devil Gene treatments made it worth it. She wondered why she still felt a little tired this morning.

Lili stopped brushing and started to rub a sore spot on her shoulder. It felt like minor mechanical wear, which was strange. The coolant bath was supposed to reinforce all of her joints. If Sebastian were here, maybe she would ask him for a massage. Of course, that was assuming she didn't rip his head off first. It was his fault for skimping on the security detail and getting her in this mess. If she were still human, she would have felt there was nothing graceful or dignified about being kept in a jar and treated like a pet goldfish. Cybernetic conversion had dulled her sense of shame, while her programming made her incapable of venting her frustration on anyone in charge of the Mishima company. At least they attended her every need now.

The combined genetics lab/maintenance factory was unusually empty today. Neither Lili's pit crew nor Xiaoyu's medical team were at their usual stations. Both fighters glanced toward each other. They were dripping wet and looking confused.

"Good morning, ladies." Anna's voice suddenly buzzed over the facility's intercom. She wasn't a scientist herself, but she was always the one deciding what was best for her test subjects. She seemed to alternate between protective older sister and demented foster mother on different days.

"Our specialists were studying your most recent test results while you were resting. I'm pleased to inform you you've both scored very highly in your sparring matches. However, the CEO has asked us to demonstrate how well you can cooperate as a team. We will now begin the final test: Advanced Survival."

This was going was going to be one of those demented days.

The combat alarm went off. Xiaoyu and Lili simultaneously groaned in complaint. Xiaoyu hadn't even received her daily check-up yet, and Lili still needed some diagnostic work.

"Sorry to catch you so unprepared. You'll have to rely on each other since you are both currently… vulnerable." Lili rolled her shoulder to work out her ache. "That fatigue you're feeling right now is also part of the simulation. We temporarily reduced your treatment regimens so you will each be operating at 50% of your normal combat capacity." Xiaoyu's stomach growled as she stood up.

"Good luck, girls. We look forward to seeing how well you can improvise."

The first wave poured in from every direction. Xiaoyu and Lili were surrounded by a small Mishima infantry within seconds. Even with their slowed reflexes, the two fighters were able to flip through the constant hail of bullets. It was more of a daring escape act than an actual fight, but in the end Lili and Xiaoyu were standing victorious and all of the gunmen were either dead or crippled.

Wave 2 was the riot team. They came armed with shields and stun batons. Lili tried to attack first, but she lacked the power to break through the barrier. One of the guards pushed her back into Xiaoyu, causing the fighters to collapse one on top of the other in a clumsy feast for the eyes. After a little squirming and a brief argument, Xiaoyu slipped out from underneath and jumped back to her feet.

She somersaulted over the defensive wall and landed on one of the guards' shoulders. Wrenching her nimble body around his arm, she forced him to drop his baton.

"Hey, Goldie! Catch!" Xiaoyu called to Lili as she tossed the weapon.

And then things got interesting.

Lili held the rod against her chest. Her eyes changed to the color of lightning as the voltage went straight into her bionic heart. Her next spinning kick sent one guards hurling through the air and crashing into one of the lab's generators. She pulled out the damaged wiring to give herself an even stronger charge. The entire room vibrated in a low hum.

Lili shattered a riot shield with a single punch. She slaughtered the closest group of guards before locking one in a grapple hold of her own. The guard screamed as his arm popped straight out of its socket and tore away from his body.

"All yours, Short Round!" Lili threw dismembered limb toward her partner.

Xiaoyu tilted her head back and let the brutality drain on the tip of her small tongue. A few drops of fresh blood were all it took to make the Devil Gene kick in, and Xiaoyu was getting a full breakfast with each greedy gulp. She wiped her mouth with the inside of her elbow when she was done. Her voice echoed in several different pitches as she giggled contently.

From that point forward, both fighters were untouchable.

The next wave—a squadron of Jack units—toppled over like dominoes. The final wave was comprised of only one invader. Xiaoyu enjoyed breaking that hideous little doll with her bare hands. She let Lili have the leftovers so she could salvage its fuel cell.

The alarm went silent. Lili and Xiaoyu remained cautious. They waited in their fighting stances, standing back to back and curve to curve.

"Congratulations, ladies." Anna crackled over the loudspeakers again. "You've passed!"


	4. Chapter 4

Xiaoyu was in a deep sleep. She lay sprawled on her left side without a care in the world. She didn't budge even when she was poked and prodded on the shoulders and belly. An abrupt, sharp pinch on the right half of her rear finally brought her to awareness.

Her eyelids flung open in an instant. Her eyes were bloodshot and the irises glowed devilish red. Her nails dug into her palms as her hands squeezed into fists. Her feet thrashed across the cold steel floor. She hyperventilated through clenched teeth.

"Calm down, Lilith," Anna ordered in a strict voice. She was kneeling over Xiaoyu, holding a stopwatch in one hand and an empty syringe in the other. "You know you'll be deemed a Failure if you can't control your little temper."

Being called her codename reminded Xiaoyu what she was, and who she belonged to. Each one of her "supplements" was another test of her willpower. If she didn't focus, she would become a mindless monster. She instinctively craved power, and the Devil Gene was one of the few things she was still allowed to have control over.

Her eyes gradually changed back to their natural brown color. Her body became less tense as her breathing relaxed.

Anna watched with a curious "Hmm" and a few approving nods. She clicked the watch with her thumb.

"Good girl." She spoke in a softer tone as she smiled. ".4 seconds faster than last week. Your metabolism is still improving. I was a little concerned since I gave you a more concentrated dose this time."

Xiaoyu sat up and gazed across the room. Emilie had already started her day. She was completely dry and wrapped in a towel. Sitting cross-legged on the edge of a sterile white table, she was enjoying a cup of morning tea and reading her copy of _Sense and Sensibility._ She would have looked serene if it weren't for the fact her cranial shield was removed and one of the lab technicians was tinkering with her brain circuits.

Anna snapped her fingers. A pair of workers took the watch and the syringe from her hands and replaced them with a fresh towel. She draped the cloth over Xiaoyu's damp hair and rubbed playfully.

"Once you get cleaned up, I have a new mission for you. The usual infiltration and elimination. You'll be better suited for this one since you're our organic option. The target is one of those paranoid types and we don't want to risk your sister tripping metal detectors left and right with all of her experimental alloys."

Another technician stopped behind Anna with a hangar and a qipao dress. With its silk skirt and a bright flower print, it looked like a more formal version of Xiaoyu's fighting gear. Anna held two tiny capsules in front of Xiaoyu's eyes, then tucked them into hidden pockets on either side of the dress's collar.

"You know the rules. The red pill gives an instant boost to your Devil Gene once you've isolated the target. Blue is your cyanide, just in case things go bad. We're still trying to figure out how to make you more self-reliant like Athena. She has her own auto-deactivation routines built in. I suppose you'd think it would be pretty boring if we had you try meditation and learn how to voluntarily stop your heart, hmm?"

Xiaoyu thought to herself in silence. Another mission meant another opportunity to use her genetic powers. If she completed all of her objectives perfectly, she would probably be given an extra day off. Maybe they would even let her see Panda again.

She looked back up as she pulled the towel across her shoulders.

"Who do I get to kill?"

Anna answered with a wide grin.

"That's what I like to hear."


End file.
